In vitro conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone by term human fetal membranes.

The conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone by homogenates of term human fetal membranes (38 to 40 weeks' gestation) was quantitated prior to and after labor. Chorion pars reflexa obtained after spontaneous labor by vaginal delivery was more active than that obtained prior to labor by elective cesarean section (p less than 0.05). With homogenates of amnion pars reflexa (n = 18), and pars placentaris (n = 18) obtained prior to labor no conversion or pregnenolone to progesterone was detected. In contrast, in amnion pars reflexa obtained after labor the reaction was detected in five of the 13 tissues examined and was significantly different from tissues obtained prior to labor (p less than 0.01). However, the conversion by the amnion pars placentaris after labor was not significantly different from that to labor. Evidence for inhibition of the reaction in the amnion pars reflexa and pars placentaris obtained prior to labor was found when prolonged washing of these tissues (up to 5 hours) with isotonic KCl resulted in the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone being easily detected. This study suggests that there may be "activation" of the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone in fetal membranes during labor and indicates that considerable care should be taken in studying this and perhaps other reactions in fetal membranes as the mode of delivery, the preparation of tissue, and, in the case of the amnion, the area studied can affect the results obtained.